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Hot start to spring

The weather bureau is forecasting a mini heatwave, with hotter than usual temperatures across the country for the next week.

Meteorologist Cameron Lethlean says a hot air mass over northern and central Australia is being driven south by a ridge, pushing temperatures into the mid to high 20s in southern parts of the country.

"The warm air mass has occurred in northern and central Australia. That's been generated from an absence of cloud, and also fairly weak south-easterly trade flow, and that ridge has aided with maintaining warm temperatures along northern parts of Australia.

"We'll see the synoptic situation drive some warmer air into remaining southern parts and then we'll see the temperatures over the next few days warming up and reaching the mid 20s, which is very unseasonal at this time of year."

Mr Lethlean says temperatures will be hottest in the Northern Territory, parts of western Queensland and north-east South Australia.

"We expect temperatures around even 10 to 12 degrees above average through there. At 12 degrees above average, you're looking at some quite extreme conditions, definitely up into the low to mid 30s, which is very high for this time of year."